Nepal have qualified for the 2027 Men’s ODI Asia Cup after beating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 44 runs in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup final on September 12 at the Bayuemas Oval in Malaysia.
Nepal scored 313 for nine after winning the toss and batting first. Aasif Sheikh top-scored with 102 off 106 balls, hitting eight fours and four sixes. He also shared a 97-run partnership with Arjun Kumal.
UAE’s chase was led by Rahul Chopra, who scored an unbeaten century. Tanish Suri made 42 and captain Harpreet Bhatia scored 33, but UAE could not build enough partnerships and fell 44 runs short.
Nepal’s Bowlers Defend 313
Karan KC was Nepal’s best bowler with three wickets. Lalit Rajbanshi took two wickets, while Sandeep Lamichhane, Rohit Paudel, Gulshan Jha, Basir Ahmad and Dipendra Singh Airee took one each. Nepal have now beaten UAE twice in the Premier Cup. They also defeated them in the 2023 edition.
Nepal are the sixth and final team to qualify for the 2027 Asia Cup. The other five teams are India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The 2026 ACC Men’s Premier Cup was played in Malaysia from August 30 to September 12. Ten teams took part, with Nepal securing the final Asia Cup spot by winning the tournament.
2027 Men’s ODI Asia Cup – Qualified Teams
| No. | Qualified Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | India |
| 2 | Pakistan |
| 3 | Sri Lanka |
| 4 | Afghanistan |
| 5 | Bangladesh |
| 6 | Nepal |
Nepal Return After 2023 Debut
The 2027 Asia Cup will be Nepal’s second appearance in the tournament. They made their debut in 2023 after winning the Premier Cup that year. Nepal lost both their matches in the 2023 Asia Cup. Pakistan beat them by 238 runs, while India won by 10 wickets under the DLS method after Nepal were bowled out for 230. Nepal will now return for the 2027 edition with hopes of improving on their first Asia Cup campaign.